Enculturation of Cyber Safety Awareness for Communities in South Africa

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The internet has become so integrated with users’ daily activities, that cyber users interweave their daily activities automatically between the physical and cyberspace without noticing. Cyberspace can be referred to as a virtual computer world, which includes the connectivity of multiple networks. These connections between multiple networks within cyberspace form a global computer network to enable online communication between cyber users. Cyber users connect to cyberspace for socialising, work and educational purposes. The advantages of cyberspace are enormous and to a great benefit to all cyber users and cyber business. However, cyberspace opens the door to a number of possible cyber risks and cybercrimes that can affect cyber users. Cybercrimes and risks relate to either financial loss, disruption or damage to the reputation of a cyber user or organisation. These cybercrimes can include hacking, phishing or identity theft. Cyber users may not be aware of or knowledgeable regarding cyber risks and cybercrimes. The cyber user needs to be cyber safety conscious in order to be protected against cyber risks and cybercrimes. In many instances, cyber users within the industrial sector are being made aware of cyber risks through education and training programmes within their working environment. However, many cyber users within communities in South Africa are not working in industry and therefore do not have access to opportunities regarding cyber safety awareness. This research aims to investigate the level of cyber safety awareness within communities and propose a number of approaches that can be used to create and implement cyber-safety awareness programmes and material within different communities. Differently communities within South Africa have different needs that can range from different languages, learning approaches and community-defined processes and procedures. A quantitative research method and random sampling were used to obtain data about cyber safety awareness within communities. In the research, a survey with full ethical clearance was used.